Bittersweet Candy Bowl

Delilah rises slowly, groaning as she gets up, her shoulder feeling very tight.

I was not brave, then. I was terrified. Everyone was going to die if I didn’t do something… and she wasn’t paying attention to me. Its much easier to be brave when no one sees you. As with the dragon.

The dancer winces, swaying slightly on her feet as she follows Susanna’s gaze to the sleeping knight.

He’s… Susanna… I… thank you.

Delilah wraps her arms around her friend’s shoulders, giving her a weak hug, her arm moving stiffly as she leans into her friend, tears of gratitude welling in her eyes.

Maybe someday I’ll be as confident as he is. I try, but its so hard when there is so much danger around you. They always protect me… I’ve not done nearly enough to repay them for it. Even at the festival, you looked out for me.

She shakes her head.

Princess Sunday gave me this dagger so that I would not be afraid… Sometimes, I worry that I won’t ever live up to it.

Susanna gently moves her arm to better support the small ragamuffin. She smiles softly.
Now, now. You’re not suggesting the Princess was wrong, are you?

She saw the inner strength you have. We can all see it; I think it’s about time you discovered a mirror.

With this, she embraces her friend again. Delilah’s weak shaking slowly subsides.

Delilah sighs, shivering a little from the cool night air and her shoulder.

I don’t know… she… I…

The dancer bites her lip, not wanting to admit that she would rather the Princess be alive, but finally manages.

I won’t let you down, Susanna. Or Albert. Or anyone.

After the second hug, the cat stills, seeming much more calm as she pulls away. She takes a few steps over to the sleeping tabby and sits down next to her, setting her good arm around the unconscious cat’s shoulder and giving her a hug, nuzzling her cheek gently and whispering, though the sound is loud enough for all to hear.

Thank you for protecting me today. Without you, I’m not sure we would have made it. Don’t worry, someday you’ll find your knight in shining armor too, but until then…

She strokes Amaja’s shoulder slowly, resting the geomancer’s head on her chest.

Amaja’s fearful expression in her sleep subsides as the dancer whispers into her ear and pulls her into her chest. Uncurling softly from under her shirt she slowly wraps her arms around Delilah and buries her face into her chest. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, her face in a calm serenity now with the embrace against the ragamuffin. Her dreams still cast in darkness.

Susanna, slightly embarrassed by this, scans the camp. The lack of a fire makes the shapes indistinct, but there’s a distinct absence of… something.

As her eyes flicker back to Delilah, she is torn over whether to disturb her gently cooing friend. It might be nothing, but still…

She speaks as softly as possible. “Del… with all the frenzy earlier.. was anyone actually chosen to go on watch?”

As Albert awakens with a small groan and a crick in his neck, thanks to sitting there for so long watching over Delilah, his first sight is the two girls talking to eachover. He shows a small smile seeing Delilah is all right but this only brings the memories of before come rushing back into his mind
Oh god Delilah are you okay?
He reaches over to hold the girl in his arms, not wanting to let go after what has happened
I failed to protect you like I promised.
I should of payed more attention to you but I didn’t and now you were hurt and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
He can feel tears trickle down his face as he only feels worse admitiing his own failures
And now I hear you’re preagnant so if you had of gotten really hurt who knows what could of happened.
I’m so sorry.

Delilah is purring slowly, a low rolling sound deep in her chest as she holds her dreaming friend in her arms, resting her chin atop the tabby’s head and smiling softly. At Susanna’s words, she turns her head slightly, tilting her head.

I don’t know… I just woke up and saw you.

She looks around the camp slowly, counting heads, not sure if she can see everyone or not.

That’s…

She is started by Albert’s words, the excited knight rather louder than he probably should have been as he rushes over and hugs the dancer, Delilah closing her eyes and rolling her shoulders back against Albert’s chest before quivering a little from the healed injury. She lifts her head from Amaja’s and rubs her head back against her mate’s.

Its not your fault… you did everything you could.

She whispers quietly, trying not to wake her sleeping savior, though with Albert being so excited it was probably a futile effort. Her eyes soften at his words, but when he says she is pregnant, her fingers squeeze on Amaja’s fur.

Who… how… I didn’t mean to keep it a secret but I didn’t want you to worry about me…

She lowers her ears slightly, looking guilty and whimpering a little.

I probably shouldn’t be here right now; this is their moment…

In silence, Susanna disappears off towards the western perimeter of the camp, quill drawn. The others do not notice a thing.

Amaja winced faintly as she felt herself being squeezed between the knight and his dancer. Hearing the commotion her ears tweaked with each vibration of the voices. Tightening her hug around the ragamuffin she slowly released her grip, blinking her eyes faintly. She moved an arm from around the girl and rubbed at her eyes faintly to help wake herself up. Looking up to see Delilah was the person she was snuggling into she blushed a faint pink and slowly sat back into the knight. She glanced over her shoulder to see Albert in an uncomfortable proximity and promptly dropped back down and hugged onto the dancer again, nudging him with her foot to make him back up from her.

Albert moves a little to quit Amaja from kicking him and simply sits there, still crying a little, and simply glares at Delilah’s stomach
It’s alright if thats what you wanted to do then it’s waht you wanted to do.
He looks down and sighs a little, now wishing it wasn’t another quest they would soon be going on now that he has two people to care for.
I wish this had of been just some negotiations like you’d hoped for my dear.
If I can’t protect you how am I supposed to protect two people now?
*sighs deeply* I’ve failed you and Princess Sunday with that promise.

Amaja released her grip from the dancer and slowly stood herself up and out from between the two. She patted softly at the bottom of her shirt to get the dust off. Spinning on one foot she turned to face Albert after hearing him talk about having to protect two people now. She smiled confidently and beat her fist onto her chest with her other set to her hip, her face filled with confidence and an air of arrogance at the same time. Looking down at the two she gave them a soft gentle smile to try and reassure them she’d do anything she could to help keep them safe.

Still keep a watch of the others while thinking who was the child with scyte if he can call her a ally for eleminating the guards while they where escaping,or a enemy for trying to kill the group,he takes out his sword and stare at it
I don’t know if i can defeat her if she is a enemy,her scyte looks very strong.
Put back his sword to it’s resting place and continue his job of watching

Delilah gives Albert a sharp look as Amaja wakes up, but when Amaja clings to her again, she pats the tabby’s back reassuringly. She lets Amaja stand, and her ears flush at the words of Sir Albert and the gestures of the geomancer, ears laying down as she hunches her shoulders a bit, one of her eyes twitching a little from the pain as she straightens up again.

Amaja… thank you. You’ve done so much for me. I hope I can make it up to you somehow.

Albert, you didn’t fail Sunday. The last thing I remember is you carrying me in your arms… you did what you could to help me. You couldn’t stop the arrow, but I’m better now.

The dancer looks around slowly for Jasmina, noticing her asleep, and makes a note to herself to thank the mage in the morning. She rises, the ground still warm from where the women were resting, not wanting to invade Amaja’s sleeping space with her mate. The pregnant cat reaches over to touch Amaja’s shoulder in apology and thanks.

“I’m sorry we woke you… some thanks that was. We should let you get back to sleep…” She shoots a look at Albert, as though saying it was his fault. “Come on Albert, let’s take a walk. I think we have something important to talk about.”

Susanna appears at Konar’s side.

I knew I saw someone edging around in the dark. Thank god it’s only you.

Have you seen anything else out there?

Wiping the tears off his face he feels a little reassured from Delilah’s words and holds her hand as they walk off
Yes okay then.
It’ll be good to get some quiet after what just happened.
Plus if you want to talk then I’ll be happy to hear it.
I hope

Amaja gives Delilah a soft gentle smile, setting a hand onto hers shaking her head trying to express the she wasn’t sleepy anymore. She took the dancers hand lightly off her shoulder and continued to smile, bowing shortly to the two. She looked around momentarily around the camp, she’d thought she heard Susanna amidst the darkness in her sleep. Her ears sag lightly as she sets a hand to her chest, her face painted with a feeling of defeat. She looked between the knight and dancer momentarily before an ear perked up as she could hear a familiar voice in the distance through the dead air. She turned quickly on her heels and hopped lightly away from the camp towards the voices she’d heard hoping to come across Susanna.

He notice’s Susanna’s arrival
Until now nothing,hope that no soldier comes here now,some of our group looks a bit tired and some with injuries.
Start to look a bit serious
That strange girl…Why she have fun doing that?

The dancer leads her knight out of the camp a short distance, her fingers trembling slightly against his, wincing occasionally as she walks from her still-sore shoulder. She is a bit angry at him for waking up Amaja, but when she turns back to confront him about it, the words melt away, instead folding her arms up against her chest and leaning against him, looking up into his eyes, her ears laid back, her tail twitching nervously.

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when I first found out Albert… we got the message that day, right before I was going to tell you, and I didn’t want to worry you, or have you tell me you were going to go without me.

She looks down now, at his chest, sighing.

I love you, and I don’t blame you for what happened. You know that, right?

Warm tears fall from her eyes, spattering on her hands, a few droplets touching the long-eared knight’s fur.

Susanna cocks her head to one side, and smiles strangely.
You’re travelling with a vampiress, a geomancer, a mystic dancer and an ink-powered dark magician, and that’s just for starters. Want to narrow “that strange girl” down a bit?

She turns her head at the sound of light paws on grass.
…and you’d better not have meant the geomancer.

Albert trys holidng Delilah a little closer, but can’t seeing as he doesn’t want to push against her stomach, so he isntead looks into her eyes
I know but I wish there was something I could of done.
I’m a Sir that means I should be protecting people no matter what the cost.
Gives Delilah a kiss and turns his head away a little, trying to hide his shame
I don’t know what I would of done if you were hurt.
Especially now that you we have a child together.
I just hope we can both get out of here okay.

Well,i see that we have a interesting group.
Noticing the aproach if the geomancer
Oh,we have some company.

Delilah looks hurt that her mate is not holding her close, her eyes shining as she looks back up at him.

I’m not angry with you Albert… you’re my knight in shining armor, and you saved me today, as much as Amaja did. She saved us all… but you saved me. And our child.

She smiles happily, glad she can finally talk about it, quivering with excitement.

Isn’t it wonderful! We’ll go back home after this is all over, and we’ll soon have a child in our lives… a long eared, beautiful child after their father.

The dancer takes one of his hands and slides it over her tummy, holding it there.

I’m sure you’ll keep us safe, and we’ll all return together…

Amaja seeing the two ahead, noticing one is the cat she’d been looking for. Quickening her pace to a sprint she runs up to the two and clambers into Susanna wrapping her arms around her torso nuzzling sweetly into her. Expressing how happy she is to finally see her through all the things that has been happening. The grip of her embrace almost suffocating, but she felt like she didn’t want to let her go fearing she’d disappear again.

Hanibal strides over towards the sound of voices, which turn out to be Susanna and Konar talking. Upon getting close, he hears Konar’s remark.

Room for one more?

Upon noticing Amaja, Hannibal positions himself on the other side of the writer and new member to the group.

Albert forgets all about the incident earlier feeling the joy of knowing he will soon have a child rushing through him, dancing around and cheering
This is wonderful dear!
I can’t wait till we finally have a child of our own to take care of.
He holds Delilah in his arms and gives her a kiss
But don’t forget itll have a wonderful mother as well.
feeling cheerful he also rubs his nose against her
I wish this could of happened a little more in the future but I’m just so happy.

Susanna tries extremely hard to look shocked and embarrassed in front of Konar and Hannibal, and fails completely. With a murmured suggestion that they really should check the eastern perimeter instead, Susanna returns her velvet-furred companion’s embrace.

Heroine of the hour, I gather. How you do it I’ll never know.

Susanna pulls back slightly, and smooths the fur behind Amaja’s left ear.

Try to avoid getting quite so much to the front lines, though, ‘kay? I worry sometimes…

Smile a bit and continue to watch over the group

Hannibal edges over to Konar.

I could use a distraction right about now. So what’s your take on all this?

Delilah coos at him as he grabs her and kisses her, kissing him back, nestling herself up against his form, her fingers slowly stroking his back, a grin on her face as he breaks the kiss.

Mmm… and here I was worried about you treating me like I was made of glass.

The dancer gives Albert a light nibble on the nose, purring happily, her tail swishing back and forth behind her as he compliments her.

Maybe it could have been later… but why not now? We have our whole lives ahead of us, we three… and more, someday. But for now…

Delilah pushes her mate back against a tree, making a happy sound in her throat as she stands on her tip-toes to kiss him deeply…

((I’m going to bed. Albert, Amaja, Lady Lieselotte, and Lily can all autoplay her.))

Amaja looked up to her old friend and smiled brightly as she is called the heroine of the hour. Purring softly at the comfort she felt with Susanna, she let out a soft coo when she smooths out the fur on her ear. Looking up to her once more she nods agreeably, to convey she understands to stay out of trouble this time. She sighed lightly as she loosened her hug around Susanna enough to let her arms fall lightly back to her own sides. Setting her hands lightly behind her back she tilted her head to the side faintly giving her a quizzical look, curious to what she’d been up to this whole time.

As usual, Susanna comprehended everything Amaja indicated.
“To be truthful, I’ve just been stalking the group since we left the hostel. I still haven’t found a way to manage proper invisibility,” she confessed, “But an inky shadow tends to go unnoticed at night. Not too tiring, either.”

She reaches for her journal, only to remember she put it down near Delilah.
“Anyway, I was trying to improve that trick even further by using a sigil that greatly reduces the effects of Pure Darkness. I’ll show you the plans later, but it’s fairly straightforward. When that weird child appeared, though, it took less than a minute for the sheet to burn up. I don’t know if that shielded us or not, but it’s certain that that kid’s got even more power than it appears.”

Look to Hannibal with a bit serious look
We barely made it out of the village alive. If we meet that child again we are so screwed.

Amaja listened intently to Susanna as she mentions the child they’d encountered before, her body shuddering violently at the thought of the nighterror she’d experienced. She clutches her hands to herself trying to keep the thoughts away when trying to listen to her friend. She looked up at her worriedly, uncertain if there was anything they could do. The little girl seemed beyond anything anyone could even contemplate taking on by themselves let alone with the whole group they have formed.

Concluding her observations, Susanna suddenly notices Amaja’s shivering and slightly distant eyes. Drawing her friend closer into the warmest hug she can manage, she apologises profusely, though this time it barely calms her quivering.

…again, I really am sorry, what happened to you back there?, I didn’t mean to cause you any more pain, you’ve done so much already, oh god, sorry, please stop shaking, and what did she do to you?

She unraveled her hands from her own body and wrapped them back around Susanna. Shaking softly at the thought of the little girl in her dream. She nestled her head into the writers chest trying to calm herself down again, she was doing so well till the girl crept back into her head. Her eyes began to well up with tears again but she closes them quickly and buries herself deeper into Susanna’s chest. She took several calming breaths before looking back up to her friend and smiled the best she could trying to fight the fear that was instilled in her. Wanting to not make her worry for her anymore than she already was.

Looking deep into Amaya’s eyes, Susanna reached a decision. Moving very slowly to keep Amaja nestled close, she carefully traced a symbol in the velvet of her friend’s fur. The small charm she picked actually gave a weak physical protection, but given the horrors in the tabby’s mind, a little placebo effect might be more useful than anything right now.

She looked back down into the other cat’s eyes, and smiled.

As darkness fell, something became far more obvious to the group. Something that was harder to see at such a distance in the daylight… A bright orange glow lit up a small potion of the horizon. A very specific portion. The village that they had come from in fact. The once quiet town was now a raging inferno, some of the flames licking the sky, giving a spectacular show to the onlookers from not only the forest, but the neighboring towns as well.

“Well now… Wasn’t THAT an interesting menagerie of people?” The small doll grinned slightly as it’s stuffed paws silently padded across the dirt.

“I didn’t get to play with them much…” Mollith pouted, crossing her arms and looking away. The doll turned to her and smirked.

“But didn’t you have fun with the villagers?” Mollith huffed heavily, refusing to dignify him with an answer. “Ok ok… I get it. You’re bored with those lunks. But I have an idea for some fun…” The doll turned around and looked at the piles and piles of corpses. “It’s time to wake up your playmates… Pull their strings and make them dance… We’re going to put on a show…” Mollith looked back at the puppet cautiously.

“And then I can play with them?” She asked with a slight hesitation. The doll nodded, causing the child to shout with glee. “Hooray! Come on then! Upsie daises everyone!” She started to skip around the wide open street, and as she did, the earth below her turned fowl. It festered and died, leaving only a black nothingness. Slowly, the corpses started to move. Their broken bones and missing limbs seemed like minor hindrances as they all started to stand, hobble, and even crawl towards her.

A horrible sound filled the air. The sound of a dog barking with a throat full of gravel and blood. This turned out to be exactly what the sound was, as the undead beast made its way over to her. Mollith lent down and pet it’s head. “Oooo! I have a good idea!” She grabbed the nearest zombie’s finger and snapped it clean off, then pulling a small scrapbook out of her cloak. She tore a page from it, and scrawled a note down on the page. She then tucked the scrap of paper under the beasts collar, and pet it once more. “Now you be a good doggy, and you deliver this for me k?” The dog barked sickeningly once more, and took off across the bridge, leaving the girl and the hoard behind.

“Come on Mr. Ardanious! We have to go now or we’ll miss them!” She gripped her scythe tightly and lowered it towards the doll who climbed it and hopped onto her shoulder once more.

“How many times must we go through this Mollith… My name is Justardanious!” He grumbled, slightly annoyed. Mollith just laughed happily.

“You’re so silly Mr. Ardanious!” The doll slapped it’s face with it’s paw, making a soft pat sound. Mollith started skipping off in the direction of the woods, crossing the bridge as the literal army of cursed men and women began to slowly trudge after her. “Keep up everyone! The doggy has a head start!”

==================================

At the camp, as the group sat around licking their wounds, both mental and physical, there was a rustling around the edges of the firelight. The moment someone would try to discover it, it would vanish, and the rustling would be heard elsewhere. Whatever it was, it was fast… And it seemed to be circling the group…

She looked on as Susanna ran her finger through her fur and closed her eyes momentarily till she was finished. Glancing back up to Susanna a faint blush was on her cheeks feeling at ease once more. Or so she thought till she heard the gargle bark of the unknown hound. She clutched tightly into Susanna’s fur as she shifted closer into her. She looked around nervously before turning her gaze back up to Susanna. A pleading expression that they needed to get moving back to camp, and now.

Okay then lets get a Lily post in. Assuming a small chunk of this comes before our apparent hidden foe.

” ‘Screwed’? Quite the opposite I’d wager” came a voice behind Konar, the middle aged woman just making her rounds and overhearing his little comment, eyes once again sliding around the small camp site, and the fear that filled it. Eyes maybe hovering over the two girls for a moment then back to the guys.

“If even half of our group were to work together again that child, spirit, or demon, whatever she is…..” she gave a wave of one hand “she wouldn’t have a chance. How many times do I need to say it? This girls strength isn’t her power but the fear she spreads.”

She gave a simple dismissive shake of her as she knew what argument was coming “And yes… I know… I’ve ‘seen’ what she’s capable of.. how can I say we’ve got a chance? Well my dear I’ve also seen what our Lady Vampire is capable of, I’ve seen what Lord Makar is capable of, What Amaja’s natural talent is capable of. I’ve seen what David, Sir Albert, and even what that buffoon Hannibal is capable of” Lily naturally smirking at that last line, given the man was practical right in front of her.

“If it comes to facing her we -can- win… it’s just a matter of…..” the hedgehog suddenly stop mid-sentence, as no doubt many others did, abruptly searching the corners of her eyes as the rustling around them grew.

“… a matter of not peeing in our damn pants and showing a little spirit is all…” a few marked cards falling from her sleeve and into her open hand. They’d best be ready..

As Albert returns to camp with Delilah, his fur scruffed a little, he looks around to see most people content with either sleeping or talking between eachover and decides to simply lie down and stare up at the sky
Mmmh things have finally started to calm down it seems.
He’s about to try and rest until he sees movement near the fire and looks towards it
What is that?

Having spent the past few hours attempting to lick the blood off her, she stopped to look up at the sound of rustling. Her ears twitch as she tries to make out the source, she stands leaving Makar still sleep, a frown on her face she looks left and right through the dense thicket.
Something’s out there…something fast, and it doesn’t smell like the guards…

With a sharp nod, Susanna turns with Amaja and runs back towards the centre of their camp. Feeling the tabby still clutching to her fur, Susanna looks sideways as they run. If she’s not very much mistaken, is there a flash more confidence in her friend’s eyes now?

The swordsman heard something near and it sounds like a rustling and he prepare his sword
Someone or something is near,i can’t let my guard down.

The rustling grows louder… Closer… Ever closer… But always right at the edge of everyone’s perception. It seems impossible, but then, it’s not the first impossible thing they’ve witnessed this day. Before anyone can pinpoint an actual point of origin of the noises could be pinpointed, a horrifying howl, much akin to the sound one might hear if they smashed an infants skull open on the side of a stone wall, alerted the party to exactly where they should be looking.

The beast slowly advanced upon those who stood awake, a snarl covering it’s face. Or at least, the few patches of flesh that were left upon it snarled. Blood dripped from it’s every pore, it’s back arching as it sized them up.

Albert watched as the monstrosity of an animal walked upon the group and he could only watch in fear as it snarled blood across the floor
By the gods what is that?!
He quickly grabs a throwing knife and prepares to throw it at the beast
Whatever it is it can’t be good.
Everyone be carefull.

It wasn’t hard for Lily to tell what she was looking at. A frown going over her face as she knew very well such a creature was rarely seen alone. One of her charms was risen and the prayer of ancient words was made.

“Spirits fire: bring light to those who have been ripped from death. Let the living see what creeps in the dark and blind it!

The note in her hand vanished abruptly, burnt away by a blue flame that spread out from her fingers and into the air around her. The undead shambling thing before them suddenly being illuminated in the dark by a bright blue light that caused it to shiver in pain and the world, it’s undead moan all the more unsettling as its eyes burned from the holy glow around it. The blue flame continued through the night sky… seeking out any more of the walking dead that came to torment them.

(Lily Casts ‘Detect/Turn Undead’ Hohohoho. But I kid. Feel free to post however many more I find for me there Mavy. Figured an erry blue flame won’t hurt the mood you’re going for here too much.)

Amaja released her grip from her friend momentarily as they reached the camp, she glanced around at the others still lazing around before another awful howl rang out close to the camp. She threw her hands up to her ears to try and keep the sound from getting any worse and hold her composure. Turning from point to point she tried to figure out where the noises were coming from. Growing flustered as the searching felt futile in the darkness.

She backs up to beside Albert, her claws ready she stares down at the monster.
I just cleaned my fur too…

Konar returns to the center of the camp with his sword in hand
Don’t let your guards down,and try to protect those who are still injuried.

Dave cautiously moves over beside Lieselotte and Albert
It’s about time we put this child in her place.